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Fostering kids gives her life meaning

Madam Hazel Sim with one of her foster children. Madam Sim, who left nursing to be a saleswoman, has fostered three children under the fostering scheme of the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). She is now caring for a four-month-old girl and a two-year-old boy.

She said: "Why couldn't I be like everyone else and stay with my mother? I was nervous and scared that I wouldn't fit into the (foster) family."

She recalled an incident in primary school when her biological mother was warded in intensive care.

Her Primary School Leaving Examination was just days away, and she was distraught.

"I told my foster mother I had to go home to take care of my mother."

REASSURANCE

Her foster mother, who has two children of her own, reassured her.

"She told me to just focus on my exams, and not to worry about anything else. She said my mother would recover, and even if she didn't, she would take good care of me and ensure that I have a home," Amanda said.

Now studying in a polytechnic to be a nurse, she hopes to become a foster parent one day.

Amanda still lives with her foster family and visits her biological mother at her home occasionally.

"My foster mother didn't have to offer up her place and take care of me for 12 years," she said.

"But she made that choice, and because of her kindness, I am happy and well-fed. I was able to go overseas and go on cycling trips.

"In the future, I would like to give back to society and shower other children with the love and care they require."

About MSF's Fostering Scheme

The Ministry of Social and Family Development's (MSF) Fostering Scheme will have its 61st birthday this year.

Children below 18 in need of a safe, stable and nurturing home are placed in alternative care arrangement.

The scheme has 420 foster parents and 430 foster children. By 2020, MSF hopes to have 500 foster parents caring for about 600 children.

A foster parent must be at least 25 years old, must have at least attained secondary school education and a minimum monthly household income of $2,000.Applicants and their family members must go through an interview. Home visits will also be conducted to ensure safety features are in place.

Approved foster parents undergo training before a suitable foster child is assigned. The entire application process takes about two to three months.

Every foster child is given a monthly allowance of $936, or $1,114 for a child with special needs.

Medical fees for foster children are covered, and MSF also funds each foster child for one enrichment course per year.

This article was first published on Mar 14, 2017.
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